Hard-Work, Will-power and The Sheer Love Of The Game – The Recipe For Success

"A short story about a Super 14 — a really super 14"

In sport, as in life, you almost always get out what you put in. The story of Patrick (Paddy) McCabe is a prime example.

Paddy is the extremely likeable former St Aloysious First XV Captain and Warringah Academy player who, through dedication, hard-work and a bucketload of will-power, has this season made it onto the big stage of Super 14 rugby – prompting his ACT Brumbies coach Andy Friend to tip him as a future Wallaby.

His potential had been clear from the start. The first time this writer saw Paddy in 2004, he was jumping off the school bus, running late for Academy training (it's a fair hike from North Sydney to Rat Park for a 4.30 start after school) and racing across the front field at 'Rat Park', changing into his kit as he went. I thought – here's a special lad, a kid who obviously loves the game of rugby. Although he was a quiet young bloke, the look on Paddy's face was a beacon of enthusiasm and enjoyment for the game, yet tinged with that tad of seriousness that all potential champions must have. You could tell — given the chance, he would not disappoint.

Paddy's work ethic and considerable ability began to pay off when in 2005 he was picked to play for Australia A School Boys, followed by his selection for the full Australia Schoolboy XV, scoring a try against Japan Schools from his position on the wing. In 2006 a place in the New South Wales Waratahs Academy followed, and after a short stint with Warringah Colts, McCabe made his debut for Warringah first grade in 2007 — a successful year capped by Paddy's selection in the Australian Under 19's World Cup Squad.

2008 was a stellar year for Pat, his potential realised as he cemented his place in the Warringah first grade XV, helping the team to a finals series play-off and winning the season's 'Best and Fairest' Award, together with the prize for joint-top try scorer (sharing it with close 'St Allo's' school-mate Ed Doyle). People in the know in the Nation's Capital took notice of Paddy's performances and he reaped the rewards by being awarded an ACT Brumbies Professional Academy contract for 2009.

If 2008 was a dream year for Pat, the start of 2009 was a nightmare. Sustaining a serious leg injury in the opening Shute Shield game against Northern Suburbs before his home fans, much of his season was spent as an onlooker, with any hopes of stepping up to Super 14 put on hold. But his iron will and strong character saw him through an intense rehabilitation program, and he returned to first grade in the second half of the season, playing some of the best football of his short career. His credentials were enhanced when he headed off on the ACT Brumbies short tour of France, for which he was voted Best & Fairest Player on the tour. Returning to Warringah for the last handful of Shute Shield games he was integral to the 'Green Rats' pursuit of yet another finals play-off berth.

At the end of 2009 Paddy was awarded a full Super 14 contract with the ACT Brumbies for the 2010 season, with the promise of playing alongside legends George Smith, Stirling Mortlock and Rocky Elsom. Although he missed a fair bit of the pre-season training program with a niggling leg injury, his Super 14 debut was a winning one, ironically as the "Super Number 14" in the starting line-up for the opening game of 2010 against the Western Force in Perth. Paddy, playing like a seasoned pro out on the wing, has since gone on to score his first Super 14 try against the reigning champions the Blue Bulls, in front of 31,500 partisan fans at Pretoria's Loftus Versfeld Stadium, followed by a consistent performance in a tough away win against the Stormers at the famous Newlands in Cape Town. Paddy helped make his home debut a winning one against the Lions on a wet and windy night in Canberra. If not for a miraculous tackle by Lions substitute Wandile Mjekevu eight minutes from the end of the game, Paddy would have already scored his second Super 14 try.

But not to worry — there will be plenty more to come from our very own Super 14, 'super number 14' and while all this is going on,

Pat McCabe is also studying for a business law degree at Macquarie University – we reckon he'll succeed at that too!